Despite being direct competitors for the future of entertainment, Netflix and Amazon have two drastically different approaches to their original content. Netflix’s strategy has been to produce an incredibly wide range of content that is available exclusively to their subscribers. Amazon, on the other hand, has opted for a more blended strategy.
More often than not, Amazon chooses to operate like as a traditional distributor by identifying great material and purchasing the exclusive distribution rights. They often make their content available on other platforms and even sell syndication rights to other terrestrial broadcasters.
They’ve also often partnered with other companies to organize wide theatrical releases of their movies rather than meeting minimum requirements for award consideration before stashing their content on the web.
Regardless of your opinion on their strategy, the result has been some of the best movies and television shows of recent years. Amazon originals have gone on to win multiple Academy Awards, Emmys, and Golden Globes, and are expected to only expand on their collection this year. Their content has often far sured the content put out by Netflix and Hulu in of quality and critical reception.
Here are 16 Amazon Originals That Are Better Than What's On Netflix.
Manchester by the Sea
Despite his recent controversy and the announcement that he will not be presenting the 2018 Best Actress award at this year’s Oscars, it is undeniable that Casey Affleck gives a spectacular performance in 2016’s Manchester by the Sea. Affleck went on to win the Academy Award for best actor at last year’s Oscar ceremony and writer/director Kenneth Lonergan was The Academy’s pick for best screenplay.
The movie has gained a reputation as a movie that can only be watched once. It’s the story of a man struggling with depression who is tasked with taking care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies. It’s a subtle and intricate movie that is incredibly moving.
It’s a movie without a direct comparison to any of Netflix’s offerings. Its impact is similar to something like Beast of No Nation, but its intimacy is most like The Meyerowitz Stories or Tallulah, which is definitely overshadows.
The Grand Tour
Following their departure from the BBC show Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May took their talents to Amazon. Rather than simply try to recreate Top Gear, the team tried to expand on their original series and were successful in doing so.
Currently rated in the top 100 shows of all time by IMDb s, The Grand Tour has enjoyed international critical and commercial success. The show received a positive review from Screen Rant among many other outlets and currently has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix hasn’t yet come out with an overwhelmingly successful reality series and have instead opted for scripted content. It co-produced the Japanese show Terrace House and a handful of cooking series, but nothing that could compete with The Grand Tour head on. Perhaps the best comparison, because of its format and international appeal, is Ultimate Beastmaster which has received mixed reviews.
Transparent
Featuring another incredible performance by a controversial actor, Transparent was one of Amazon’s first shows and one of its most successful. The show became the first original series by a streaming service to win a Golden Globe for best series in 2015 when it took home the award for best television series- musical or comedy.
The show tells the story of a Los Angeles family and their lives after discovering that the person they’ve known as their father is actually transgender. Critics have praised Transparent not only for its effect on television but also its sophistication and dedication to human drama.
It can best be compared to the Netflix shows Love, Flaked, or Lovesick (Formally Scrotal Recall), but is far more successful than any of these shows.
I Am Not Your Negro
I Am Not Your Negro is a movie about the history of racism in the United States. Based on the unfinished manuscript by American novelist and social critic James Baldwin and featuring narration by Samuel L. Jackson, I Am Not Your Negro weaves together a collection of letters and notes written by Baldwin in the 70s.
I Am Not Your Negro was critically praised and was nominated for best documentary at last year’s Academy Awards. It holds a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the critical consensus that the movie, “offers an incendiary snapshot of James Baldwin's crucial observations on American race relations -- and a sobering reminder of how far we've yet to go.”
It can be best compared to the Netflix documentary 13th, but I Am Not Your Negro holds slightly better ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
The Man In The High Castle
The winner of two Primetime Emmy awards, The Man In The High Castle, based on the novel of the same title by Philip K. Dick, tells the story of an alternate dystopian version of history in which the Axis Powers won World War II.
Critics have unanimously praised The Man In The High Castle. It’s received a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes for it's first season, with the critical consensus saying that the show, "is unlike anything else on TV, with an immediately engrossing plot driven by quickly developed characters in a fully realized post-WWII dystopia."
The Man In The High Castle can be best compared to the Netflix shows Narcos or The Crown, but neither have the combination of critical and audience response that The Man In The High Castle has achieved.
The Big Sick
Picked by American Film Institute’s as one of the top 10 movies of the year, The Big Sick was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and has received near universal praise from critics and audiences.
Loosely telling the real-life experiences of the movie’s star and co-writers, The Big Sick centers around the interracial relationship between its main characters Kumail and Emily and how their relationship is affected when Emily gets sick and is put in a medically induced coma. The result is a funny and charming story with just enough freshness to deliver a new experience through an old formula.
In its atmosphere, it can best be compared to The Meyerowitz Stories or I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore, but Netflix hasn’t been able to put out something this delicately emotional yet.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The winner of the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Television Series- Musical or Comedy was a surprising treat to viewers. Created by Gilmore Girls mastermind Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Rachel Brosnahan in a Golden Globe-winning performance, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel tells the story of a housewife in the 50s who decides to become a stand up comic.
Currently ranked directly behind The Office on IMDb’s Top 250 TV Shows, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a heartwarming comedy with poignant statements about societal norms and gender politics. It’s perhaps most similar to the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black which has been hit or miss over its six seasons. Both shows have very funny moments and sharp critiques of society, but The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s charm is overwhelming.
One Mississippi
Perhaps the best comparison to The Big Sick is another Amazon original. One Mississippi is another semi-autobiographical story, this time focused on an alternate version of real-life comedian Tig Notaro who returns to her hometown in Mississippi after learning that her mother is about to die. While dealing with her own health issues, Tig learns about her mother’s life and rediscovers her hometown from a new perspective.
One Mississippi has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences. It has a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the critical consensus saying that the show, “proves an honest vehicle for its moving dramatic narrative, observational comedy, and the genuine acting skills of its lead, Tig Notaro.”
It can best be compared to the Netflix shows Flaked or Grace and Frankie, but neither is as effective as One Mississippi.
The Lost City of Z
From Director James Gray (The Immigrant, We Own The Night), and based on the book of the same title by David Grann, The Lost City of Z tells the true-life story of British explorer Colonel Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s. It’s a throwback to a different era of filmmaking, and, overall, it was an artistic success.
The movie was a commercial flop, making only $17 million against its $30 million budget, but it received a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a critical consensus that reads, “The Lost City of Z's stately pace and visual grandeur hearken back to classic exploration epics, and Charlie Hunnam turns in a masterful performance as its complex protagonist.”
Because of the scope of the movie, The Lost City of Z could best be compared to Netflix shows like Stranger Things or Narcos.
Landline
Landline, the follow-up effort from Obvious Child writer/director Gillian Robespierre, tells the story of a teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan in 1995 who discovers that her father is having an affair. With excellent performances and willingness to tackle uncomfortable issues head-on, the movie received favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Landline has a fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating with the critical consensus saying that the movie’s, “talented cast -- and a fast-paced approach from director/co-writer Gillian Robespierre -- help this charming multi-generational dramedy overcome a familiar storyline.”
Landline was a bit of an experiment for Amazon. Rather than partner with a theatrical distributor as they had for many of their previous films, for Landline Amazon decided to handle all of the distribution themselves.
Landline finds its Netflix doppelganger in The Incredible Jessica James or The Meyerowitz Stories.